Readers speak out on the issues of the week including the proliferation of non-answers at the Emergencies Act inquiry
In the words of Lewis Carroll …
Re: Canada, where traffic violations bring the country to the brink of collapse, Carson Jerema, Nov. 22; Using the Emergencies Act was necessary, if regrettable, Michael Kempa, Nov. 22
The NP Comment newsletter from columnist Colby Cosh and NP Comment editors tackles the important topics with boldness, verve and wit. Get NP Platformed delivered to your inbox weekdays by 4 p.m. ET.
The testimony by CSIS Director David Vigneault at the Emergencies Act inquiry was reminiscent of Humpty Dumpty’s comment in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass:
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more or less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master? That’s all.”
Editor’s note: Almost identical letters were submitted by John Sutherland of Calgary and Aldo Dolcetti of Richmond Hill, Ont.
The Liberal government and its cheerleaders “experience laws differently.”
Talis Forstmanis, Kitchener, Ont.
The PM didn’t panic
Re: NP View: Justin Trudeau’s Emergencies Act panic, Editorial, Nov. 17
The National Post’s editorial board concludes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must have been panicked by Washington when he enacted the Emergencies Act. This is very kind of them, but unfortunately, misguided.
Has there ever been evidence that Trudeau is prone to anxiety or panic? This is a fellow who climbed into a boxing ring early on in his political career, unafraid to risk damage to his body or ego, and who boldly wore blackface to school functions when he was a teacher, and other costumes on international trips, severely damaging Canada’s reputation around the world.
The evidence is strongly suggestive of an overly confident, stubborn individual, who believes in himself regardless of what might be whispered in his ear every so often by some brave adviser. Trudeau is surrounded by civil service sycophants who are only too willing to assist in carrying out his every whim. The bureaucrats currently testifying are now revealing the extent to which they are willing to go to please their master. This was a desired ending to a situation he created, fostered and festered. His actions were akin to the tyrannical leaders he has told us he admires.
Panic? Only Canadians should be panicking at this point.
Barbara Okun, Scarborough, Ont.
Canada a banana republic?
Re: Canadian bank CEOs told Freeland that Freedom Convoy made Canada a ‘joke’, Ryan Tumilty and Christopher Nardi, Nov. 24
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland testified at the Emergencies Act inquiry that an unnamed bank CEO bank told her an investor had said, “I won’t invest another red cent in your banana republic in Canada.” She was concerned that the Freedom Convoy protest was “putting investment in Canada at risk,” Freeland told the commission.
Remarkably, after hearing Canada compared to a banana republic, the Liberals thought the best course of action would be to use the Emergencies Act to crush the protest and trample on human rights.
Although the label has evolved over the years to mean any dictatorial regime, a banana republic was originally used to describe a Latin American country with an oppressive regime that operated at the behest of large agricultural companies; a country that suppressed human rights for business interests.
Freeland further justified the use of the act to maintain Canada’s attractiveness as an “investment destination.” That doesn’t appear to be one of the criteria for invoking the act, such as a threat that “seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians.”
Was the intention of invoking the the act to promote a business-friendly environment? One where the workers, take truckers for example, have no rights? Sounds like a banana republic.
Tom Reid, Nanaimo, B.C.
Countering the courts
Re: Three cheers for the notwithstanding clause, Howard Anglin, Nov. 16
Howard Anglin is absolutely correct in his view that our elected legislators should not shy away from use of the notwithstanding clause to overturn judicial excesses.
The Supreme Court’s pontifical decision, reversing itself, that the courts can overturn any legislature’s decision to mandate a return to work, is simply an example, a particularly egregious one, of a court that is driven to impose its personal agenda on Canadians in respect to economic and social policies that ought to be the exclusive domain of our elected representatives. Indeed, Chief Justice Richard Wagner has bragged that the SCC is “the most progressive in the western world.” These are the words of a woke academic, not something we should expect from the chief justice of Canada.
The late Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court spoke eloquently about the need to control judges from imposing their personal ideologies. He used originalism as the technique to accomplish this, that being the rule that the wording of the constitution should be interpreted to mean what it was intended to mean when the constitution was enacted.
Whatever criticism might be made of the doctrine of originalism, Scalia believed it was the only effective tool to limit the power of an unelected committee of nine lawyers, potentially acting through a majority of five, to make decisions on social and economic matters in respect to which they had limited (very limited) knowledge or expertise, and capriciously overruling decisions of our elected representatives.
The Supreme Court of Canada has massively transferred to itself powers that belong in the political realm. Doug Ford’s recent use of the notwithstanding clause is completely consistent with what was intended when the charter was enacted. I would hope governments in Canada will be emboldened by his example.
Barry Kirkham, West Vancouver
Doing the math on housing and immigration
Re: Canada’s housing woes won’t be solved by restricting newcomers, says immigration minister, Naimul Karim, Nov. 14
Closing the door to immigration will never be the solution to our housing shortage, says Sean Fraser, the immigration minister. So logically, the answer must be building more homes — many more homes.
Canada’s housing shortage is simple: according to Statistics Canada, we are currently building one new home for every 3.2 new residents. By contrast, the U.S. is currently building one new home for every 0.7 new residents, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data. In the minister’s own province of Nova Scotia, there are six new residents for every new unit. The math is clear — we need to more than double the pace of construction, especially in our cities.
However, the minister dodges the difficult politics of convincing Canadians that their openness to immigration must be matched by their openness to change in their own neighbourhoods. He is also silent on using federal tools to radically accelerate home construction. When the feds care about an issue, jurisdiction be damned, they find a way to get involved (see: health care, climate, etc).
I would flip the minister’s statement: given there is not the capacity to accommodate our immigration levels with our homebuilding status quo, he is the one putting Canada’s unique immigration consensus at risk.
Deny Sullivan, Halifax
Ontario MPP’s ‘shocking’ remarks
Re: Ontario NDP MPP Joel Harden apologizes for antisemitic remarks, Tyler Dawson, Nov. 20
MPP Joel Harden said the single greatest source of violence in the Middle East is the state of Israel. That would mean that any death and destruction attributed to Israel surpasses the estimated 300,000+ civilian deaths in Syria due to the Assad regime, the hundreds of thousands of deaths in Iraq since the U.S. invasion, and the incarceration, torture and deaths of countless innocent Iranians by the Mullahs.
What was most shocking was not the arguable antisemitic nature of the remark, but the sheer ignorance of it. Then there was the not surprising support of this provincial NDP parliamentarian by Svend Robinson, a former federal NDP member of Parliament. Canadians, especially Ontario residents, need to be deeply concerned if this gentleman is emblematic of who is running our governments.
Bernard Yaphe, Toronto
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Don’t bail out ‘Tiny Tim’ Toronto
Re: ‘Tiny Tim’ Toronto doesn’t deserve a $2.3-billion bailout, Sabrina Maddeaux, Nov. 18
I could scarcely believe recently re-elected Toronto Mayor John Tory had the unmitigated gall to seriously mismanage the finances of Canada’s biggest city, with corporate head offices and other economic advantages that lesser cities don’t have, and then appeal to the Ontario and federal governments (meaning Canadian taxpayers across the country), to gift Toronto $2.3 billion. Toronto has gone through COVID but so has everyone else, and now with governments facing too much debt, Tory waits until after his re-election to present his fiscal problems.
If Toronto gets bailed out, it’s open season for all municipalities, and fiscal responsibility takes another hit.
Colin Dobell, Vancouver
‘Is it any wonder so few citizens vote?’
Re: As Ontario NDP leadership race deadline nears there is still only one declared candidate, Allison Jones, Nov. 22
In the mid 1990s, I was a member of a national political party (its colour is red), even serving on the local executive as policy director — my area of passion and expertise. Five of my policy proposals had made it through the local and regional approval process and would be considered at the national policy convention in Ottawa. I attended that conference at personal expense (transportation/hotel/meals). To my great satisfaction, two of my proposals, including one on universal pharmacare, made it through the winnowing process and were approved (albeit in a watered-down form). The party executive, however, could adopt or ignore them as part of its electoral platform; I’ll let the reader figure out what the executive chose.
Fast forward to 2022. In the recently held Conservative Party of Canada leadership contest, one had to put up an enormous amount of money just to register as a candidate. Currently, Ontario’s NDP — a Socialist party — requires persons to put up $55,000 just to register as a candidate. Moreover, these leadership candidates must garner 100 nomination signatures with at least half coming from women, gender diverse or non-binary members, and a quarter from “equity-seeking groups” such as people who are Black or Indigenous.
Where is democracy for the ordinary Canadian when leadership candidates must be rich, adhere to predetermined policies and meet quotas just to run? Is it any wonder that I no longer belong to a political party or that so few citizens vote?
Gerard Shkuda, Burlington, Ont.
Cycle of Mideast violence must be stopped
Re: ‘Bye to my son’: Family and friends mourn Canadian teenager killed in Israel bombings, Swikar Oli and Tyler Dawson, Nov. 23
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) educates young Palestinians. Hate of Israelis and Jews and violence towards them are instilled in these children as soon as they enter school. In many cases this is supported at home by parents who were educated in the same way.
Until this educational cycle is interrupted, things will not change.
Canada, the U.S. and myriad other nations contribute to this organization yearly knowing where their money is going. The world is collectively at fault here. Education is where it all begins.
As well, the millions of Palestinians are not refugees; they are the victims of corruption and neglect. This ongoing cycle of violence will continue until the nations of the world recognize their roles in perpetuating this deplorable situation.
In addition, the families of jailed or deceased terrorists are supported for life by the Palestinian Authority. This is certainly not a way to discourage violence.
Hersh Glickman, Toronto
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